You’ve met them. The people who seem to have it all together. The ones floating through their lives, relationships and work with ease. How do they do it? When life is rocky, it’s easy to think, What do they... READ MORE

 It was day 18 of a 21-day course in the Oregon Cascades, and our crew was eating macaroni and cheese in the shadow of Mt. Thielsen. We had navigated class III rapids and hiked over 60 miles on the... READ MORE

 Many of us find ourselves stepping into the role of teacher these days. While the end goals of our instruction may differ, I think we share a common process—hoping that we can build our students into more confident, independent... READ MORE

 “I have a daughter,” my 15-year-old student said to his peers around the campfire on the second night of our 20-day canoeing course. My co-Instructors and I looked around the circle at each other, at the other students, and... READ MORE

 Near the end of a recent 20-day course, my crew of young men were worn out from a day’s worth of canoeing. It was a cloudy night, and the moonlight was nonexistent. We spent several more hours paddling with... READ MORE

The Outward Bound Readings Book is a collection of hundreds of our Instructors’ favorite quotes used at the right moments on a course to inspire students, make them laugh and to spark moments of reflection. These quotes are an integral... READ MORE

 Like many other people, as the news continues to emerge about the current pandemic, I’m beginning to view it as one of the most important challenges of my life. Words like unprecedented and crisis dominate the headlines of my... READ MORE

A fellow Outward Bound Instructor once joked that she had a long list of skills on her Outward Bound resume—including, but not limited to: Making brownies for 12 people on a camp stove in the middle of a rainstorm Intuitively... READ MORE

From a distance, Outward Bound may sound similar to summer camp. While there’s some overlap, like fun outdoor activities, adventure and sleeping under the stars with friends, the purpose and structure of the experience is different. Outward Bound is so... READ MORE

 Since I’ve been involved in outdoor pursuits like rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing and mountaineering—my adventure buddies have, for the most part, been kind, intelligent folks that I really enjoy spending time in the outdoors with.  And they’ve also... READ MORE